How it Works

In case you wonder how the commissioning process works I’ve given you a step by step guide below.

However, if you aren’t sure which photo, size or style you would like for your portrait, feel free to get straight in touch and I will happily guide you through each decision to help you get the best possible result.

1

Choose a photo

Photo of a border collie and a shetland sheepdog looking happily up in a garden.

It’s really worth putting in the time to pick the right photo as this will probably have the most influence over how your portrait turns out.

I recommend having a look at my advice on how to take a fantastic reference photo here, whether you are taking photos especially for the portrait, or would just like to know what type of image is best.

Gather as many photos as you can of the person or pet who you would like a portrait of. The more photos you have to pick from the better!

In the case where the portrait is posthumous or you are unable to take any more photos, email me as many photos as you have available to you and I will do my best to advise you on how we can achieve the best portrait.

If you can’t decide on a reference photo email me all the photos you have gathered and I will help you decide.

2

Pick a size and style

Photo of a toned drawing of a siamese cat (head and shoulders) drawn on grey paper.
Photo of a graphite drawing of a cat drawn on white paper.

Once you have decided on a photo, you can choose how large you would like your portrait to be and what medium you would like it drawn in. The size and style you pick can have a big impact on the feel of the portrait.

I offer several sizes, designed to fit standard size frames and I currently draw portraits in two different styles.

If you would like a bespoke size portrait please do get in touch with me for a quote. I will do my best to meet your requirements.

For more information on the styles I offer see portrait mediums.
For more information on the sizes I offer see pricing.

As with choosing the photo, if you are unsure I am more than happy to help advise you on the style and size which would best suit your photo.

3

Get in touch

Once you have an idea of what you would like contact me and we can get the ball rolling.

I will answer any possible queries you have and make a mock-up of what your portrait will look like, using the photo.

This will give you a general idea of the layout of the portrait on the paper, where the drawing will be cropped and the overall impact the portrait will have.

At this point we can decide on any major elements of the proposed drawing which may need changing and when we get to a point where you are happy with the mock-up we can book you into my schedule. It’s much easier to make big decisions before I start drawing and this gives you peace of mind while you wait for your portrait to be completed, knowing that everything has been agreed on beforehand.

4

Book into my schedule

After paying a booking fee, I will put your portrait in my work schedule.

The booking fee is 20% of the total portrait price, with the remaining 80% to be paid when the portrait is completed.

My waiting list can be upwards of 6 months, so if you need your portrait for a specific date please tell me as soon as possible so that I can try to accomodate this.

Photo of a gift voucher in a black ribbon tied box. The voucher is secured with green cord on a black velvet foam insert.

If you would like to gift someone a portrait but cannot afford to wait, I offer elegantly packaged gift vouchers which can be redeemed up to 12 months after purchase.

5

Drawing begins

A photo of a drawing in progress. The drawing is a small sized portrait of an young woman with very curly hair.

I will email you to let you know when I have begun work on your portrait and with any important updates.

6

Approval and final payment

When your portrait is complete I will email you a photograph of the finished artwork for your approval.

Fortunately, the earlier mock-up process usually pre-empts any issues but, in the rare case that a particular element of the portrait does not meet your expectations, I can make small adjustments at this stage.

7

Mounting and presentation

I don’t currently offer framing, but instead all of my drawings are mounted using archival techniques so that should you wish to change the mount at a later date, they can be easily removed. This makes yours, or your framer’s job much easier.

I offer four colours of Larson-Juhl mountboard, all of which are conservation quality.

Photo showing the four mount colours offered: Dark grey, Smoke, Mushroom and Vanilla. Vanilla is an off-white/cream colour, mushroom is a muted peach/pink, smoke is a mid-grey and dark grey is a very dark grey, nearly black.

Pictured right to left: Vanilla, Mushroom, Smoke, Dark Grey.

Once mounted, each drawing is placed in a polypropelene bag and a luxury textured paper envelope. This makes for sleek gift packaging, perfect for a professional or family occasion.

A photo taken at an angle, showing a portrait mounted, wrapped and inside its gift wrapping.

Your portrait will come with a certificate of authenticity, a personal handwritten note from me and a care guide, containing the relevant handling and framing information.

Photo of gift packaging consisting of: A large labelled black textured envelope, a smaller envelope reading "Care Guide & Other Documents", a hand-written note from the artist, a care guide and a certificate of authenticity with and embossed logo.
8

Packaging and shipping

All my artwork is packaged very securely, with multiple layers of padding, in a double walled box and placed in a large bag for waterproofing.

I take pride in making sure that your drawing gets to you without any damage.

See the diagram below for the exact packaging method.

I aim to dispatch all commissions within 2-3 days of recieving final payment.

All commissions sent in the UK have a flat £15 shipping fee and are sent 24hr tracked via Parcelforce.
In the case where a strike or similar issue affects Parcelforce I will post with an equivalent courier service at no extra cost to you.
If you require a different parcelforce delivery service this can be arranged at your expense.

International orders are arranged on a case-by-case basis due to the differing services available in each country.
Please contact me to discuss delivery and payment if you are based outside of the UK.

9

Await your portrait’s arrival

All that’s left is to enjoy seeing your portrait in person. A photograph never truly captures the beauty of graphite so holding your portrait in your own hands really does make a difference. It can be a very special moment when the recipient of a portrait recieves their drawing.

Photo of a lady smiling holding a mounted and wraped portrait of her cat which is sitting in the background.

I love hearing how a portrait is recieved. Please feel free to send me pictures of the occasion as it really brightens my day.

Ready to commission your very own portrait?

Contact me to get started.